Canada Post labour disruption impact to services

*This Public Service Announcement has been updated to reflect the most recent information.

Whitby, Ontario – The Regional Municipality of Durham would like to notify residents that all incoming and outgoing mail may be affected by a potential labour disruption at Canada Post.

When: A 72-hour strike notice was issued on Tuesday, November 12, and would take effect on Friday, November 15 at 12:01 a.m. ET, should an agreement not be reached by then.

Where: A service disruption would affect all incoming and outgoing mail.

Why: In the event of a Canada Post labour disruption, the Region would not send large distribution mailings, such as notices and bills and would be unable to receive incoming mail.  

In the event of a labour disruption, alternative ways to access impacted regional services include:

• Water and sanitary bills can be accessed and paid through Durham Region’s web-based portal. Visit the MyDurhamWater web page to learn more. Water and sanitary sewer bills can also be paid at a financial institution; or by cheque (payable to The Regional Municipality of Durham) at these drop box locations:

     Ajax: Municipal Office, 65 Harwood Avenue South

     Brock: Municipal Office, 1 Cameron Street East, Cannington         

     Clarington: Municipal Office, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville 

     Oshawa: Municipal Office, 50 Centre Street South

     Pickering: Civic Complex, One The Esplanade

     Scugog: Municipal Office, 181 Perry Street, Port Perry

     Uxbridge: Municipal Office, 51 Toronto Street South

     Whitby: Regional Headquarters, 605 Rossland Road East

• The delivery of new water and sanitary sewer bills would be delayed until the postal disruption has ended, with payment dates adjusted accordingly. Residents who recently received an invoice for water and sanitary sewer are still responsible for paying by the date noted on the bill.

• Ontario Works (OW) clients, who normally receive their monthly payments by mail, will be required to pick up their December social assistance cheque at their local OW office starting on the November 28 at 9 a.m. and on subsequent days from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individuals receiving OW payments through direct deposit will receive payment, into a bank account, as usual. Those that receive their OW payments via Reloadable Payment Card (RPC) will receive payment as usual.
  • Note: Clients are still required to report income changes, and changes to their circumstances, to their caseworker.
  • To pick up a cheque, two valid forms of identification are required. If you are unable to attend in person, someone else can pick items up on your behalf. To have someone pick up on your behalf, a valid form of the client’s identification, and signed consent (to be kept on file), must be provided.
  • Note: Clients of other Social Services programs e.g. Family Services, Employment Services, etc. can pick up or deliver document in person at Regional Headquarters (605 Rossland Road East, Whitby) or their local office location.                                                    

• Tenants/clients of the Durham Region Local Housing Corporation or Rent Supplement or Housing Benefit Programs, who normally mail in information required for rent calculations, etc., may see a delay until the postal distribution has ended. Tenants/clients alternatively can hand in documents in person at Regional Headquarters as well as Durham Region Local Housing Corporation sites to have them scanned and returned.
• Fines incurred under the Provincial Offences Act (POA) can be paid in person at Regional Headquarters (605 Rossland Road East, Whitby); or online at durham.ca/tickets. Fines can also be paid over the phone by calling 905-668-3130 or toll free at 1-866-779-8839, or in person at any POA court office in the Province of Ontario.

• Clients are encouraged to attend the Durham Region Provincial Offences court office located at 605 Rossland Road East, Whitby with respect to any time-sensitive material.

• Durham Region Transit (DRT) customers seeking eligibility for Specialized Services can drop applications off at Durham Regional Headquarters (605 Rossland Road East, Whitby) or DRT Customer Service desk (110 Westney Road South, Ajax) during regular business hours.

  Note: The Customer Service counter will be closed on November 16 and 17, 2024, due to a planned maintenance project. Regular Customer Service desk hours will resume on Monday November 18, 2024.

Note: Residents who recently received an invoice for a Regional service are still responsible for the timely payment of their bills, even during a disruption—where possible online payments are encouraged.

To inquire about mailings regarding immunization, oral health and other health concerns, please contact Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020, or toll-free at 1-800-841-2729.

To inquire about mailings regarding water safety, tobacco control and food safety, please contact Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020, or toll-free at 1-800-841-2729.

Customers can connect with Durham Region by calling 311 for convenient access to information about potential impacts to Regional service during a Canada Post service disruption. Customers can also use the myDurham 311 Customer Portal to submit and track requests or inquiries for Regional services online. The self-service customer portal is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at myDurham311.ca.

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For media inquiries, please contact Corporate Communications.